Lily Goes To School
by Lord Kristine
Summary: Being a stegoceratops is hard, but going to school is even harder. This is the story of Lily's first day of preschool.
1. Denial

Lily is a stegoceratops. What is a stegoceratops, exactly? According to her mother, stegoceratopses are dinosaurs. Lily believes her, of course, but sometimes, she wonders why they are never mentioned in any of her books. She can't read too many words right now, but she can see that none of the pictures in her prehistoric encyclopedia resemble her or her mother. There are many pictures that look like her father, the twoleg, but they are always standing beside the silhouette of a dinosaur. Lily has deduced that this means that each species of dinosaur can also be a twoleg. It's the most obvious explanation.

In any case, Lily has noticed a significant lack of stegoceratopses in popular media. She can think of only one example: a movie about cave people that she was not allowed to watch because a stegoceratops dies at one point. She wouldn't have known this if she hadn't been listening to her parents talk when they thought she was asleep. Sometimes, they'd have very interesting things to say. That was how Lily found out that she had to go to school, in fact. She never expected it to _actually_ happen, because it seemed like something they discussed in passing. Unfortunately, she was wrong, and today would mark the beginning of what grown-ups called "your education". Apparently, the end result of "your education" was getting a "decent job", which was basically another word for working. Lily has asked many people why anyone would go through with "your education" if the consequence was having to work instead of play, but every single time, they've burst out laughing. If there's something funny about what she's saying, she'd like to know it, but nobody lets her in on the joke.

The only two people who have ever been honest with her are her parents, and now, they're going to leave her alone in a strange, strange place. Lily is far too young to understand the principles of the multiverse, but she knows that what her mother and father call "Isla Nublar" is not in their own world. Or perhaps it is, but there are two of them. Lily doesn't think about it too hard, but she can definitely tell that something is different when she walks through the Big Metal Door. There are raptors everywhere, and twolegs, too. Perhaps the twolegs are raptor-twolegs. It's hard to tell, because every twoleg looks different. There are other dinosaurs around, including the ones with flowers around their necks and the ones with strawberry colors, but Lily doesn't see a single stegoceratops as she rides on her father's shoulders. Well, none except for her mother, who has decided to wear clothing today.

When they arrive at a large building, Lily's father lifts her up and places her on the ground. Her mother pulls her fist out of her mouth gently as she tries to suck on it, and adjusts her backpack.

"There. It looks like you're all set. Are you excited?"

Lily stares up at her mother with pleading eyes. Her face twitches in reply, and she gives a too-bright smile.

"I know you're nervous, but you're gonna have so much fun. You'll get to learn about numbers and letters . . . That's gonna be cool, right?"

Lily continues to stare blankly. Her mother bites her lower beak and bends down so that their eyes are at the same level.

"Hey. I'm really proud of you, okay? This is important, and I know you're gonna be just f-"

"Can't you come with me?"

Her mother gulps.

"Oh, sweetheart . . ."

Her father kneels down and puts his hand on her shoulder.

"This is a Lily-only thing. You wouldn't want us to get in the way, would you?"

Lily's lip quivers.

"I don't want you to go."

Her mother puts her front foot over her mouth.

"Oh god, oh god, oh god . . ."

Her father shoots her a look, then turns back to Lily.

"I know it seems scary, but once you're in class, you'll be having so much fun that you'll forget all about us."

Lily shakes her head rapidly and starts to whimper.

"I need you!"

"You'll see us again soon," her father reasons, "We'll be here to pick you up after school, and you can tell us about all the fun stuff you did."

Lily looks up at her parents, who have never left her side for more than a few hours. To suddenly be apart, especially without any extended family to take of her, is something she can't even begin to comprehend. They have been a constant in her life, and now, they're going to be . . . just _gone_. Lily rushes forward and hugs her mother's leg.

"I don't wanna go! I don't wanna go!"

Her mother nuzzles her back gently.

"Oh, Lily . . ."

When she starts crying, her mother gives her a hug and strokes her frill.

"It's okay. It's okay, baby girl. I'm here. I'm here."

Lily wails.

"Don't leave me!"

Her mother squeezes her eyes shut.

"It's only for a little while, baby. We'll be together soon, I promise."

Lily holds onto her neck, hoping that she won't have to let go. Of course, when it's almost time for class, she has no choice. Her mother places her on the ground again, and Lily notices that her eyes are wet.

"You're so grown-up, Lily. I can hardly believe it. You're very special, you know, and you mean so, so much to me. I know this is hard. I was the same way on my first day. But you can do this. I know you can. You are the most special person I've ever known, and I'm absolutely positive that you're going to be an amazing student. I love you, Lily."

This makes her feel slightly better. Her mother thinks that she can make it through school, and her mother is always right. With a proud smile, Lily lifts her head and stands confidently. Her mother beams with pride.

"Good girl. Now, I've packed your lunch in the big zipper of your backpack. Don't eat it until the teacher tells you it's lunchtime, unless you're really hungry, in which case you should ask her first and tell me so I can pack a better lunch next time. There's a freezer pack in the bag to keep everything cold. Don't throw it out, because it's reusable. If something happens, have the teacher call me. My phone is on the loudest ringer, but if I don't hear it, call one of the five emergency contacts. I wrote them down on a piece of paper in your lunchbag. If you lose the paper, just tell the teacher who you want to call, because she knows who our friends are anyway. If you can't get a hold of anyone, ask the teacher for help. I mean, you'd be talking to her anyway, so . . . Actually, let me give you another contact sheet. I'll have it laminated tomorrow."

As her mother writes down several phone numbers (including some that weren't on the first sheet), she swishes her tail back and forth with a pensive frown.

"Alright . . . I think I have everyone. That should be okay. Am I forgetting something?"

Lily's father lifts his eyebrows, surprised that he has been included in the conversation once again.

"Hm?"

"Am I forgetting something?" her mother repeats.

"Have fun," he says simply.

Lily's mother nods.

"Right. Have fun."

The bell rings. Lily's mother snaps to attention.

"Okay. We should be able to go inside. I think I see your class. Make sure you know who your classmates are, and don't wander off."

Her mother and father walk her to her classroom, taking a moment to speak with the teacher. They help Lily put her backpack away, then say their final goodbyes. Smiling warmly, they wave and walk out the door. As Lily turns to the class full of excited children, she feels her heart flutter.

Her first day of school has officially begun.


	2. Anger

Lily's first day is not going well. She hasn't made a single friend, and it's quite possible that she's made a few enemies. The dinosaurs in her class are all meat-eaters, and while she's sure that she's not on the menu, they seem to look down on her because of her diet. They make rude comments about her intelligence, or the perceived lack thereof. Whenever they start to tease Lily, however, the teacher scolds them. She seems to be on her side. This might have something to do with the fact that the teacher is a friend of Lily's mother. Perhaps they have some sort of arrangement.

Unfortunately, Lily's winged savior is not always around. She may be in charge of the class, but she is not the _only_ teacher, which means that she'll be replaced with other instructors throughout the day. Lily has learned that there will be four people teaching her, including someone called "Mrs. Harding" and a baryonyx that Lily has not yet learned the name of. The latter is going to be teaching her French, so she has to call her Madame Something. But that's not important right now.

Her main teacher, the one with the wings, is often busy. Her son goes to school too, but he's in a different class. He seems to get in trouble with his math teacher, whom Lily recognizes as the man who always wears black. Lily's teacher is sometimes called to the office because he's been acting out. This means that there's a brief moment when Lily is not under her watchful eye, and thus, it is quite easy for the other children to tease her.

And they do.

They poke her with their nasty claws, sometimes making shallow scratches on her skin. She whines unhappily, but tries to keep quiet, because her mother told her not to talk unless the teacher asks her a question.

Of course, things get rough during Free Time. There is a box of colored rice on a table with empty bottles and cups in it, and Lily has been eager to play there all day. When the teacher announces that they are free to roam for fifteen minutes, Lily rushes over to the table excitedly, but a raptor cuts her off. He sneers and pushes her away, grabbing the cup she had her eye on. A flower-neck dinosaur moves over to make room for her, but the raptor hisses angrily and snaps at him.

"Don't let _her_ play here! She'll eat all the rice!"

Lily wants to tell him that she would _not_ eat the rice, because other dinosaurs have been putting their hands in it, and besides, rice is only good when it's cooked. She doesn't, though. Her mother told her not to pick fights with the other children. This seems like a bad idea.

Abandoning her desired station, Lily waddles over to the toybox. The children who are already playing give her spiteful glares, but she ignores them. She reaches into the box and feels around for something to play with. Lo and behold, she finds the perfect toy. It is a stegoceratops, and it is green like her mother. Lily is thrilled to finally be able to play with a doll that looks like her own species. She quickly sits down and examines it thoroughly. It's beautiful. Before she has a chance to play, one of the raptors takes his plastic T-Rex and knocks the stegoceratops out of her hands. He does it with such force that Lily's fingers hurt in places, but she doesn't care. As she reaches for her toy, another raptor grabs it and places it in his spinosaurus' mouth, shaking it back and forth violently. When it falls out, he kicks the stegoceratops over to Lily.

"It's dead."

Lily picks up the stegoceratops and straightens its legs lovingly.

"No, he isn't. He's okay."

The first raptor, the one with the T-Rex, slaps it out of her hands again.

"It's dead now. I killed it."

Lily tries to rescue her toy, but a third raptor grabs it and throws it across the room. Pushed to her limit, Lily starts to growl. The first raptor takes one look at her and laughs.

"The cow is mad at us!"

The second raptor snorts.

"Give her a plant. She's probably hungry."

Lily frowns. Standing up, she makes herself look as big as possible. The raptor doesn't seem daunted.

"Whatcha gonna do, plant-eater?"

She screams with rage and pushes him over.

This earns her a timeout.

Somehow, the teacher saw her pushing the raptor, but didn't hear what caused the kerfuffle in the first place. She speaks with Lily's assailant in the hall, probably to make sure that he isn't hurt. That's Lily's theory, anyway. She wouldn't be surprised, since everyone here is so awful.

Standing in the corner sullenly, Lily forces herself not to cry. Crying would only make her look worse. If her mother finds out that she pushed a raptor, she'll be very disappointed, maybe even angry. It's not fair! This was supposed to be fun and educational, but instead, it's a total nightmare. Lily feels her eyes prickling, but she's too angry to be sad. She feels like she's been wronged.

When she looks down, Lily notices that there is someone with her. It's the stegoceratops toy. This is where it landed when the raptor threw it. Lily bends down and picks up her companion. He isn't broken, but Lily can tell that he's hurt. Cradling him in her arms gently, she strokes his beak and closes her eyes.

"We're gonna get out of here, you and I," she whispers, "I promise, we'll escape this awful place . . . or die trying."


	3. Bargaining

Lily's escape was successful. All she had to do was gather her things and make herself invisible while walking down the hall. It's a talent that she's had since birth. Somehow, when she concentrates really hard, she can make her skin change color. She's played around with this skill on several occasions, but she never thought that she'd have to use it. She's never had a _reason_ before now.

With her backpack secure on her shoulders, Lily strolls across the island. It's not exactly a pleasant walk. Every sound makes her jump, and every flitter of movement causes her to camouflage instinctively. She's not supposed to be here. If her mother were to find out . . . Well, she wouldn't understand, would she? She hadn't gone through the arduous nightmare of preschool.

. . . Or had she?

Lily knows that her mother is smart. She's both smart and educated, while her father is only one of those things. She would have had to have gone to preschool. Was she teased as much as Lily? No, of course not. Why would anyone tease her mother? Lily has always believed that her mother is the most beautiful person she's ever seen. She is also strong and fierce and powerful, so it's unlikely that anyone would get in her way. But what if they had tried? What if Lily's mother had gone through the exact same thing, and by running away, Lily was proving that she was a coward?

But all of that was impossible. Try as she might, Lily couldn't think of a single reason why anyone would hate her mother. Logically, that would mean . . .

Lily slows to a stop. She is starting to figure things out, and she doesn't like the conclusion she's coming to. If people are teasing her, there has to be a reason, and that reason must be that there is something wrong with her. Is it the fact that she eats plants instead of meat? No, her mother and father do the same, and everyone loves them. Is it something about her personality? No, the other children hated her before they even met her. What _was_ it, then?

When Lily hears a frog ribbit, she realizes that she's near a pond. Forgetting about her troubles, Lily skips over and peeks through the cattails. She doesn't spot a single animal, but she notices something else: her reflection. A beige-skinned, blonde-frilled stegoceratops is staring back at her. She looks like both her mother and her father, but also like herself, which makes sense. Too much sense, in fact. If she's not quite like her mother and not quite like her father, that means she's different. Logically, this would indicate that the lack of respect she receives is based on the way she looks, which means . . .

 _She's ugly._

Lily gazes at her reflection, touching her face with worry. From the creases around her lips to the bumpy not-quite-plates on her back, not a single part of her looks like her mother or father alone. She's a mishmash of two beautiful people, but somehow, she came out wrong. It's like mixing all the colors on a palette: no matter how pretty the original paints were, all that will come out of them is an ugly brown.

Falling on her rump, Lily buries her face in her arms and starts crying. She doesn't even care that she's making sound. Her shoulders shake hysterically, and she finds that she can no longer hold in her sorrow. She's ugly. She's _ugly_. She's a disappointment to her parents and the whole world.

Her parents . . .

Lily's mother often says that she's pretty. In fact, she sometimes says that she's perfect. How could Lily be ugly if her mother doesn't think she's ugly? Her mother is always right, after all. It makes no sense!

With a frustrated groan, Lily pulls off her backpack and undoes the zipper. She pulls the plastic stegoceratops out and stares at it. She knows that it's wrong to steal, but she couldn't let the poor thing stay in that dreadful place. The kids were so _mean_ . . .

As Lily turns the toy around in her hands, a second thought dawns upon her. If the children don't like this toy- a stegoceratops that represents the epitome of beauty- maybe there is something wrong with being a stegoceratops in general. But her mother is a stegoceratops . . .

Lily grabs her head and screams. This is all so confusing. Her mother is beautiful, but Lily and this stegoceratops are not, according to the other children. What's the difference? Is it because this toy has no front horn? Lily has a front horn, just like her mother. Is it because her mother has a reddish frill? No, that can't be it . . .

Lily gives a frustrated cry and throws her toy to the ground angrily. Tears stream down her cheeks, and she whimpers pathetically.

"I hate preschool! I hate it, I hate it, I hate it!"

She sobs for what feels like an eternity, wallowing in her sorrow. When the blur of tears has cleared from her vision, she sees her toy lying in the grass. Gasping for air, she picks him up and gives him a hug.

"I'm sorry . . . I'm sorry . . ."

She sniffles and gives him a kiss.

"I think you're handsome, even if the others don't."

Lily stands up, brushing herself off.

"We don't need them. We'll find our own way."

It almost looks like her toy is smiling at her remark. Taking this as a sign, Lily lifts her head and marches into the forest that borders the other side of the pond. She is so wrapped up in her quest that she doesn't notice a warning sign as she struts past it.


	4. Depression

Lily is frightened. The forest seems really dark and scary when she's all alone. Normally, it would be an inviting area, full of places to explore and things to eat, but her mother told her not wander off or graze in case there was pesticide on the lawn. Of course, there wouldn't be poisonous grass on Isla Nublar, since it was supposed to be a safe and friendly ecosystem. That wouldn't stop her mother from worrying, however. She worries a lot. She worries because she loves Lily.

Giving a light sniffle, Lily wipes her nose. Her poor mother is stuck with an ugly baby, a baby who can't even make it through one day of kindergarten. Perhaps she didn't _know_ that Lily was ugly. Thinking back to all of the love she'd received, Lily can't pinpoint a single moment when their bond has been questioned. But maybe her mother is just good at pretending.

"I'm ugly. Nobody likes me. I'm ugly. Nobody likes me. I'm ugly. Nobody likes me."

Lily chants this statement over and over. Perhaps she is trying to make herself believe that it is true. It's hard, though, because she is picturing her parents smiling down at her in adoration. Their faces show not a hint of irony, not the slightest glimmer of doubt. As she thinks about them, Lily starts crying. She doesn't know why, exactly, but she feels like the world is crumbling around her. She just wants to be back on the ranch with her mother and father, playing out in the sun, or perhaps curled up by the fireplace. She wants to hear her father singing her a lullaby and feel the warm hugs of her mother. She wants to be in their arms forever and ever and never have to go back to kindergarten. If she were to find her way home, she'd run over to her parents as fast as she could, sobbing with relief. She would bury her face in her mother's shoulder while her father stroked her frill, and they'd both let her know that everything was going to be alright.

 _Shhh . . . It's okay. Let it out. It's okay to cry . . ._

She could almost hear her father, and soon, she heard her mother, too.

 _Don't worry, sweetheart. You don't have to go back. We won't make you._

But they're not really there. Her parents are far away, in another world even, and they won't be back for a very long time.

Lily's lip quivers, and she loses the strength to stand. She falls to her knees, then lies on her belly, placing her front feet over her eyes as she sobs. She's making so much noise that she doesn't hear a gentle hiss coming from the grass. It's only when she sees a flash of yellow through her fingers that she realizes she's in danger. She gasps as a snake appears from out of nowhere, hovering in a threatening pose. Its tongue flits out of its mouth, moving up and down before slipping back in. Above its cruel, blue eyes are ridges that look something like eyelashes. It's a terrifying sight.

Lily whimpers and backs up, but the snake follows. It's still moving its head in a slow, calculated dance. It's only a matter of time before it strikes.

"RAAAAAAAAAH!"

Suddenly, a raptor springs from the bushes and grabs the snake in his teeth. He flings it to the side before it can strike him. Lily lets out a sigh of relief as it slithers out of sight. Her rescuer lifts his chin proudly and makes a satisfied chirp-purr sound. When he turns to Lily, his smile is confident and a little egotistical.

"Ha! I saved your life! You owe me a life-debt!"

Lily frowns.

"You didn't _save_ me!" she barks indignantly, "I had everything under control!"

"You weren't in control . . ."

"I was!"

Lily and the raptor stand face to face, glaring at each other, but his expression softens when he recognizes her.

"You're Lily . . ."

"Yeah, so?"

"I'm Liam."

"I know."

He cocks his head.

"I thought you were supposed to be in school."

"You too."

Liam shakes his head.

"Raptors don't belong in school. My mother doesn't understand. She's not a real raptor."

Lily blinks in surprise. Does having wings make her a not-twoleg-raptor?

"She isn't a raptor? . . ."

"No. My parents aren't raptors," Liam says with a hint of shame.

Lily rubs her chin.

"How does that work?"

"It makes more sense than _you_!"

Lily shrinks back in surprise. Seeing that he's gone too far, Liam sighs.

"I'm sorry. You're perfectly fine. You at least _look_ like your parents. I don't look anything like mine . . . most of the time."

Lily perks up.

"I look like my parents?"

"Yeah . . ." Liam says cautiously.

"Do you think I'm pretty?"

Liam snuffs.

"What kind of a question is _that_?"

"Am I _pretty_?" Lily repeats.

"Pretty _annoying_ . . ."

Lily pulls off her backpack.

"Can I show you something?"

Liam nods. Lily holds up her plastic stegoceratops. Liam takes it from her hands gently and turns it over in his claws. He pushes down on the tail, and its neck extends. Nodding lightly, he hands it back to Lily.

"Cool."

Lily grins.

"You like it?"

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I-"

He goes rigid as Lily hugs him. He's completely and utterly stunned. Lily backs up and smiles shyly. Liam blinks, and a translucent eyelid wipes his eyes. Lily holds her hands in front of her, shifting her shoulders coyly. After a moment, Liam coughs.

"I guess I'll bring you back to school. They'll be missing you."

"What about _you_?"

He shrugs.

"I guess I can go back too . . . for your sake. C'mon."

As he struts away casually, Lily can't help but give a tight-lipped smile to herself.


	5. Acceptance

When Lily returns to the schoolhouse on Liam's shoulders (he offered to carry her when she stepped on a sharp stick), she is surprised to see that her mother is already there waiting for her. She's talking to a big, yellow animal, who has large wings and a long neck. The strange creature doesn't seem to be as stressed out as her teacher, who is pacing nearby.

"It's a pretty small island," the yellow thing says causally, "I'll do another round. Eventually, we'll find whatever's left of her."

Lily's teacher slaps her leg.

"We'll find her in one piece, I mean," the animal coughs, "But you know, if we don't, you can always buy a replacement child. Feel free to take one of mine. If you want another dinosaur, I'm sure- Oh, wait. There she is."

As soon as Lily's mother catches sight of her, she rushes over with tears in her eyes. She picks her up, ignoring Liam, and hugs her so tightly that she chokes a little.

"Lily! Oh, Lily, I was so worried! Where did you _go_? Why didn't you come back?"

Lily is about to answer, but her mother squeezes her again, silencing her.

"You're okay, you're okay . . . Thank god . . ."

Her father dashes over and joins the hug.

"Lily! That was awful! God, you almost gave me a heart attack!"

Lily cocks her head.

"Why?"

"I was scared to death!" he laughs with relief, running his hand over her head.

Lily's jaw drops.

"You were _scared_?"

He nods.

"Very much so. I thought I'd lost you. I thought you were-"

His lip quivers.

"Hang on. I need a minute."

Her mother rolls her eyes as he jogs away.

"Where's he going?" Lily asks.

"To cry, probably," her mother replies flatly, "He doesn't like to do it in front of other people."

Lily gulps.

"I made Daddy cry? . . ."

"You gave us _both_ a scare," her mother affirms, "Why did you wander off?"

Lily looks away in shame.

"The other kids were teasing me."

Her mother covers her mouth.

"Oh god. Lily, I am so, so sorry."

"I've spoken with the troublemakers," Lily's teacher interjects, "They're ready to apologize."

Lily's mother shakes her head.

"No. Oh, no, no, no, no, no. She is _not_ going back in there. We'll take her home and try again next year."

Lily's jaw drops.

"But Mom-"

"We can homeschool her until she's old enough to learn basic skills, then we'll have her educated in a controlled environment."

Lily swishes her tail back and forth in distress.

"Mom . . ."

"She can play with nice children who don't tease her about her species, and everything will be per-"

Lily yanks on her mother's tail.

"I want to stay, Mommy!"

Lily's mother stares at her in shock. After a beat, she shakes her head.

"No. Absolutely not. I will not allow you to be bullied, Lily."

"But I made a friend."

She points to Liam, who has been waiting patiently. Lily's teacher catches sight of him, and frowns reprimandingly.

"Liam . . ."

"He saved me," Lily pipes up, not wanting him to get in trouble, "He saw me running away and followed me into the forest. He protected me from a snake."

"Most of that is true," the yellow animal affirms.

Lily's teacher sighs and rubs her temples.

"Alright. Liam, go back to class. Don't cause any more trouble, please."

He nods.

"I won't, Mom. I really won't."

He rubs up against her leg as he walks past, then canters towards his classroom. Lily's mother watches him, then closes her eyes and takes a deep breath.

"Remind me to thank him later," she mutters, addressing Lily's teacher, "For right now, I think it's best if we all go home."

"No!" Lily cries, "I want to stay!"

Her mother shakes her head.

"I don't want you to stay if the other kids are being mean," she states reasonably.

" _Liam_ is nice!"

"He's not even in your class, sweetheart."

"But he's in the same school! I want to see him!"

Her mother rumbles in frustration.

"You can have a play-date or something. There's no need to go to school."

"Yes, there is!" Lily insists, "I wanna learn about numbers and letters and be smart!"

"You're plenty smart."

"I want to be _educated_ , then."

Lily's mother looks at her with worry, but her father returns and gives her a comforting nudge.

"Hey, let her stay. Take it from someone who barely went to school: education is important. If she thinks she can handle it, let her try."

Her mother glares at him.

"It's not _about_ the education. It's about the R-A-P-T-O-R-S."

Lily wishes that she could spell like her mother. That's why she needs kindergarten: to learn how to do the things that will help her through life.

"Forget the raptors," her father argues, "They can learn to live with her. If she doesn't learn to socialize, she'll end up being just like the I-N-D-O-"

"You're jumping to conclusions!" her mother snaps, "Lily would never-"

"I won't take that chance. She needs this," he insists.

"Well, I think that's just D-U-M-B!"

"I know what I'm talking about. I'm not S-T-U-P-D!"

"You forgot the 'I'."

Her father crosses his arms.

"See? I never went to school, and I can't spell. This is important."

Lily tugs on her mother's tail again.

"Mommy?"

"What is it, sweetie?"

"I want to go to school," she says, "I want to read books and count things. I want to learn how motors work. I want to know why the ocean is salty, but puddles are not. I don't care if the others make fun of me. You love me and Daddy loves me and Liam wants to be my friend. I don't need the others. I just need you."

Her mother looks at her sadly.

"But you can be with us at home . . ."

"I don't want to stay at home forever," Lily declares, "I want to know what the world is like. Home is all well and good, but it's not an adventure. Even if I don't like what's outside of our world, I can always come back to it and try again the next day."

"Lily . . ."

"I'm not afraid of what's out here," she continues, "I'm not afraid of raptors or snakes or teasing . . . I _can't_ be afraid, because if I am, I'll miss out on what's good. I don't want to stay at home forever. Please, let me go to school."

Her mother stares at her for a while, then closes her eyes and exhales.

"Are you going to stay put this time?"

Lily nods spiritedly.

"Yes, yes, yes!"

Her mother sighs and quirks the corner of her mouth.

"Alright. We can try again."

Lily squeals happily and hugs her mother's leg. After resting her chin on her shoulder, Lily's mother nudges her towards the teacher gently.

"Alright, you little runaway. Go back to your classroom. Don't forget to have fun."

Lily smiles and follows her teacher. She peeks over her shoulder one last time and sees her parents smiling warmly at her. With a quick wave, she turns around and skips into the building. Before entering the classroom, Lily reaches into her backpack and pulls out the stegoceratops toy.

"This is yours," she says, holding it out for her teacher.

To her surprise, instead of taking the toy, her teacher smiles and pushes it back into Lily's hands.

"You can have him. He's happier with you. I can tell."

Lily beams and hugs her teacher's leg. She smiles in response and opens the door to the classroom. When Lily steps inside, the three raptors who were being mean during Free Time shuffle up to her and apologize. They invite her to play, and she accepts. As they sit down, one of the raptors offers her his T-Rex. Lily shakes her head.

She's happy with her hybrid.


End file.
